Don't Tear Me Down
by The-Despondent-Insomniac
Summary: Her eyes lock onto his as without question she slips her fingers between his own. Everything around them is forgotten as they glide across the floor together. Nothing else matters, not Katherine, not Stefan. Just them, together in this one stolen moment.


**Okay, so this is a completely new category for me so I apologise of this fic isn't exactly up to par. I tried to keep everyone as in character as I possibly could for the shortness and vagueness of this fic but I'm not entirely sure I succeeded. I don't normally read Damon/Elena fics and I especially didn't think I'd be writing one, however after the most recent episode "Miss Mystic Falls" I simply couldn't **_**not **_**write this. That scene between them was just toooo good to ignore.**

**So to my usual readers, sorry if this isn't up to standard, I'm ill, typing with acrylic nails on and not in the most flow-y mood at the moment. To anyone new reading, I really hope if you like this enough you'll read some of my other stuff and to everyone, I hope you like it, reviews are greatly appreciated, especially con-crit and really fluffy ones lol. ENJOY everyone :D**

**xoxox**

**Becca**

* * *

"Miss Elena Gilbert. Escorted by Mr. Stefan Salvatore" he glances around quickly, enhanced eyesight taking in everything around him; every nook and corner, hearing taking in every sound within a quarter mile. No Stefan. Barely three seconds have passed, but already he knows there is no way his brother is escorting Elena tonight. He's bailed out and left her alone.

He can sense her coming down the staircase behind him and slowly turns his attention back to her; his decision made a split second before everyone else sees her. He can't help but stare in shock as she emerges; she looks so much like Katherine in that moment that it's almost unbearable. He swears he can almost feel his undead heart beat for a moment at the sight of her. He sees her eyes land on the waiter standing complacently at the foot of the staircase where Stefan should be and watches as her face falls with confusion and worry- and just a hint of resigned disappointment.

He shakes himself out of his trance like stare and steps smoothly forward- taking his brothers place- and watching warily as her eyes fix on his. Waiting for her rejection. An emotion flashes across her face; relief and shocked joy-too quick for her to hide as she calmly accepts the change of plans and doesn't even question his presence. He's only a little surprised when he hears her heart rate pick up as she stumbles slightly on the steps at the initial sight of him. Her eyes stay locked on him, dragging him into their depths as she slowly descends and he can't help but be glad in that moment that it is him waiting for her, not Stefan.

He offers her a small, lopsided smile of commiseration, keeping up the pretence, pretending to be sorry to be there and she offers the expected words in return; a whispered enquiry of his brothers whereabouts. She accepts his hand without question and returns her eyes to his; a silent moment of _thank you _and_ I'm happy to do it _passing between them. He can be honest when he wants to be. And with her, he finds himself wanting to be more and more.

She offers a tight smile to those around them, some of their looks disapproving of her new escort, some openly envious as they make their way out into the courtyard and he leads her in the first steps of the ancient dance he learned over a century ago. The last time he had danced to it was with Katherine, at the very first founder's day ball.

He grimaces as he recalls the memory of those ball's and tries to be conspicuous as he growls "right now we just have to get through this" in response to Elena's worried questioning. He sees her lift her head and straighten up, a mask of refined elegance settling over her features as she resigns herself to the moment, understanding the need for discretion and letting her years of practice at being perfect and untouchable shine through.

He can't help but feel disconcerted in that moment: he can see Elena, he knows it's her; yet at the same time, something in her eyes just screams _Katherine _to they dance, he can't help the small smile that breaks through as he watches her; he can see himself dancing with Katherine, just like this a hundred and fifty years ago when it was just them against the world with her secret burning between them, bonding them together against everyone and everything else. He can see the same look in Elena's eyes as he did hers; that of sharing delectable secrets and hidden lives that no one else can touch. They are so remarkably similar that sometimes it almost terrifies him...but at the same time thrills him.

He can see Elena in front of him now, even as Katherine dances through the back of his mind and he lets his own mask slip for a moment, just a moment as his dark eyes follow her; wary, searching and enticing; daring her to play with him just as he has always done. He's not sure who he is dancing with in that second as his eyes spark and jump; wanting nothing more than to breach the tiny distance between them and touch her. Her own eyes are flashing back at him in fiery retaliation; daring him to take the game further, to make a move that will leave them both breathless but leave their watching audience clueless. They both know he can do it.

The music picks up and his arms automatically pull her to him; his hands settling respectably in the correct positions as they move to the new tempo of the music. He feels the electricity that runs between them as his hand clasps hers and he is suddenly jerked back to the present, Katherine banished to the recesses of his mind leaving only Elena in his arms; her eyes searching and surprised as she too is forced back into reality.

He can see her confusion at their sudden intimacy; can see she too was lost in the previous moment and is now struggling to bring back their usual enmity. He watches her face intently, searchingly as their dark eyes connect and she struggles to catch her breath at their new positions and close proximity. Katherine fades from his mind as their eyes lock and all he can see now is Elena; her face clouded with uncertainty and the realisation of new possibilities. He stares her down with his usual calm and unruffled mask firmly back in place while he waits- offering himself openly-to see what she will do next: push him away, or finally give in.

He sees her eyes become hooded as she finally let's go and slips into the moment; letting everything else between them fade away. His own chest constricts at the look that flashes through her eyes as they glide seamlessly across the dance floor and he smiles almost contently back at her when she sends him her own smile of reassurance at her decision, a reassurance that Katherine would never have known, or cared that he needed, would never have offered to give. She'd made her choice, and she wasn't about to back out now.

As the dance comes to a close and she slips slowly out of his arms he can see the fear in her eyes of what it all means, what happens now and _what the hell just happened _but mostly he can see her acceptance, her realisation that everything has changed between them now. He can see it in the way she is looking at him, appraising him with new eyes, sending him the look she usually reserves for Stefan, that she wants him, that she's willing to take the consequences. He stares her down and she stares right back; daring, challenging, playing and to hell with what everyone else will think.


End file.
